Pajama Day

 
Sydney and I had a pajama day today.  We literally didn't leave the house for even a second, stayed in our PJ's all day!  Luckily, after a bit of a worry about Sydney coming down with something yesterday,  she woke up feeling and acting like her old self.  I thought just to be on the safe side, and with so many events coming up, that I should keep her home for a day.

We actually had a great day together, played and read books, painted her Halloween pumpkin and she had a good long nap this afternoon so I had some time to get some things done.  I took full advantage of the fact that I had a day at home, put together Sydney's loot bags for her birthday party, made a pot of Curry Cauliflower Soup and Spicy Turkey Burgers which we enjoyed for an early dinner.  I even whipped up a batch of homemade macaroni and cheese for Sydney, it was yummy, I ate all the leftovers and Sydney loved it too! 

It was definitely a day for comfort food, it was cold and rainy and I felt very grateful that we actually could stay in our pajamas all day and blow off our activities.  I am keenly aware of the fact that days like this with my girl are numbered and I plan to enjoy every single one of them when they present themselves!

Am looking forward to getting back out and about tomorrow, we are having some friends for tea on Sunday and have decided to turn it into a mini-birthday celebration for Sydney so will spend tomorrow running errands and getting groceries to get prepared for that.  It should be fun!

Here's the recipes for the Curried Cauliflower Soup and Spicy Turkey Burgers along with the cheese sauce recipe that I use for the homemade mac and cheese if you're in the mood to try something a little hearty:

Curried Cauliflower Soup

2 TBSP olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1.5 TBSP sugar
4 tsp curry powder
8 cups cauliflower florets (from one large head), chopped
1 1/4 cups potatoes, peeled, diced and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
7 cups low-salt chicken broth
Chopped fresh mint leaves

Heat oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and saute until translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes.  Add sugar and curry powder, stir 1 minute.  Add cauliflower and potatoes; stir one minute.  Add broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 35 minutes.  Working in batches, puree soup in blender.  Return soup to same pot and bring to simmer.  Season with salt and pepper.  Top with fresh mint leaves once in serving bowls.

Spicy Turkey Burgers

1 1/4 lbs lean ground turkey
1 cup mild salsa, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 TBSP vegetable oil, divided
1 TBSP hot sauce
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

4 kaiser buns, halved horizontally

Mix ground turkey with 1/2 cup salsa, onions, cilantro, 3 TBSP oil, hot sauce, cumin, salt and pepper in large bowl.  Shape turkey mixture into patties.  Heat 1 TBSP oil in large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add burgers;cook until brown, about three minutes per side.  Reduce heat to low.  Saute until burgers are cooked through, about 4 minutes, turning occasionally.

Serve on kaiser buns with lettuce and topped with salsa.

Cheese Sauce

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup flour
1 1/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Melt butter in small saucepan.  Add flour and stir until it is all mixed in to make a roux.  Add milk and stir constantly over medium heat until sauce thickens and is velvety.  Add cheese and stir continually until melted.

Pour sauce over cooked elbow macaroni and serve or you can top with buttered bread crumbs and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes if you want a baked macaroni.